chalc3d0ny

Squash is packed with vitamins, a super food if there ever were one– and it’s delicious, to boot. We love throwing it in with some other simple ingredients to create a hearty stew.

This is an absolutely vegetarian dish that combines the savory notes of a good broth with some sweetness from the tomato paste and the squash. It all ends with a little kick from some red pepper flakes to really make this a light dish that’s perfect on the palate. Keep reading below for this recipe…

Slow Cooker Squash Stew

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, sliced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas, rinsed

1 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into large pieces

1 bunch Swiss chard, leaves and stems separated and roughly chopped

4 1/2 cups vegetable stock

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until soft and golden brown (about 4 to 5 minutes). Stir in the tomato paste, red pepper flakes, and chili powder, and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in 1/2 cup vegetable stock, scraping up any browned bits in the skillet, then transfer the contents of the skillet to a slow cooker.

Just before serving, lift and stir in the chard leaves. Cook for 10 more minutes. Remove the bay leaf, season with salt and pepper, then stir to slightly break up the squash. Ladle the stew into bowls, top with grated parmesan if desired, and serve with bread.